Mind Gardens
by fauxPROJECT
Summary: The mind is a dangerous thing. Summer falls into Autumn, people die and things can't be reserved. But maybe met somewhere in the middle. Neji Hyuuga, Ino Yamanaka.
1. prologue, have a half a mind to

Summary: The mind is a dangerous thing. Summer falls into Autumn, people die and things can't be reserved. But maybe met somewhere in the middle. Neji Hyuuga, Ino Yamanaka.

- Thanks to Coco-Minu for inspiration! Dedicated to our love for InoxNeji, and for yours!

- First multi-part, constructive criticism is welcome! encouraged!

- rated T for a reason.

* * *

Mind Gardens,  
fauxPROJECT

the mind: (in a human or other conscious being) the element, part, substance, or process that reasons, thinks, feels, wills, perceives, judges, etc.: the processes of the human mind.

**Prologue, have a half a mind to.**

-

_"Haven't you heard?"_

"—_yes, such a shame rather."_

_"If I were him I'd be angry, infurifated."  
"_—_oh, why should it matter? We're shinobi. We expect this as chuunin, they're ANBU."_

_-_

Ino Yamanaka is a kunoichi, shinobi. One of the above. They will spin golden nooses of this life and hand them to you and you will willing take the golden spun nooses and place your pretty, pretty neck in the wide, welcoming hole of macabre.

But Ino Yamanaka knows that being kunoichi is not a marvelous journey. Completely opposite, and not child's play anymore.

But what she knows now was what she knew then, she would have kept her perfect little neck out from the fox's hole. Once you're on your knees, submissive and exposed it's probably all over. You will realize the being a kunoichi is neither attractice nor amazing, but that it's a religion. Being kunoichi is prison.

(_for this job is something bigger than your life. for it can be easily taken.)_

_-_

_"I'm a million different people from one day to the next."_

_-_

_"Tsunade-sama! It's recommended_—"

_"I will not remove her_—"

Neji could not help but hear the heated argument brewing behind the closed doors. Even though Tsunade was considered a tough Hokage she did have her favorites that she allowed—no, almost enjoyed getting loud with.

"Troublesome." Came a mutter with a click of the door shutting behind it. The footsteps stop, and Neji throws the man a look from over his shoulders.

"Oh, Neji." Shikamaru sighs, closing his eyes and frowning at nothing in particular.

"Is there a problem?" Neji can notice the awkwardness in his usual slack posture as he talks to him.

"Just troublesome Ino business—" He pauses and Neji straightens his own at the name. Shikamaru opens his eyes finally and stares simply at him. Neji wets his lips and shifts his weight on his left foot, crosses his arms, and throws his head up a bit more.

"What a coincidence. So am I." Neji decides to toy, with a dissatisfied smirk. He sees Shikamaru reaching for something in his back pocket.

"Hokage wants to see you." Shikamaru mutters with a wave, before stealing a vase full of flowers from a desk.

-

_"You never invite anyone to play shougi anymore, Shikamaru."_

_"I just don't want to."_

_"Well, I bet I know a couple people who'd give you a run for your money." She laughed with a toss of her hair._

_"Ino, you're not.."_

_She tuned him out with her own laughter as she twirls and twirls and twirls._

_-_

_"_I'm getting released today." Ino shifts uncomfortably under the stiff hospital sheets. She shivers for a moment from the sudden chill.

Shikamaru groans at her as if she's the most unbearable person to be around—which she will put down all of her savings that it's Kiba that's the most unbearable.

"I think you should be in here _forever_."

"Oh, shut up." Ino airily dismisses the comment before pulling her knees to her chest. Shikamaru worries a bit too much about her problems, rather than his own problems. Like how the holes in the knees of his pants are beginning to show—he smokes cigars that make him seem _way old_—he plays shougi by _himself_—and he has tiny hairs the always escape his hair tie. "I'm legally responsible for myself. I can do whatever I want."

It's silent. But Ino has become accustomed to these silences. They've known each other for so long that sometimes you need silence to clear the airwaves. She glances off handledly to her left, and runs a hand through her white blonde hair as she looks outside through the window.

"Give her those flowers, okay?" She points.

Shikamaru lights a cigar and takes a long drag from it.

"Who? Her?" He releases the smog from his mouth as he speaks.

_"_—yes, her. Who else? Oh—I'llgotheremaybetoday—"

"Stop talking so fast. And alright, I'll go."

She frowns at him though smiling slighty before scowling.

"Don't smoke in front of those flowers. I'll _fucking _have your head!"

-

_"White doesn't look good at all against your skin, forehead." _

_"_—Especially, _your forehead_."

-

Autumn is coming full swing and some leaves on the tree are starting to change color. Although, most trees don't go through dramatic change—it barely snows in Konohagakure. A very rare phenomenon if it does.

Neji favors autumn for it's cooler conditions in contrast with the more mild summer weather that plagues the village. The residents in Konohagakure seem to slow, welcoming a tepid transition into winter. Some even pray for snow—Neji doesn't. He fairs with the slightly cooler conditions but snowflakes are not on his wish list.

But when he sees her at the memorial stone he can almost feel the heat pouring from his face. Collectively he gathers his wits and continues his saunter to the memorial stone and comes up behind the blonde as she's hunched awkwardly against the stone.

"Yamanaka," Neji begins but stops and quirks an eyebrow. She is shaking uncontrollably, and grasping at the stone as if her life depends on it. In a surge of almost boiling rage he grasps the white cotton of her kimono on her back and jerks her up slightly. But she is laughing and crying at the same time. He leans in a bit, trying to her hear murmurs—what? Is she crazy?

_"Don't you remember?"_ Neji frowns, her voice is laced with an easy identifiable eastern accent. _"Down by the creek, Yoru."_—Is she mental? _"You loved those figurines. Especially the dog, that's the year you were born in right?"_—most likely.

"Yamanaka-san!" A feminine voice hollers, and the click of a nurses heel comes into the clearing on the stone pathway. "Oh—sir! Please! Just give her to me." In a flash the blonde is cackling and twisting from the grip of the nurses and gripping on the fronts of his shirt. The red headed nurse pulls out a wickedly long syringe and aims for the blonde kunoichi's arm.

"Keep control of your patients, nurse." Neji growls with impatience and a slight shove to the blonde.

Shikamaru enters the clearing with a slight cough into his fist as he grasps Ino's arms all while frowning and shaking his head.

Neji just stares in disbelief and confusion as the nurse leaves with the finally sedated kunoichi and a distraught Shikamaru. He turns away from the fellow shinobi and to the memorial stone.

"Tenten was murdered—left behind." Neji starts out with a strong, disgusting taste filtering through his mouth. "I won't let Yamanaka forget that."

Shikamaru's frown thickens and he starts to walk away.

"Stay away from her, Neji. Just—" And he's gone.

-

_"Okay, forehead. You're kind of over doing the beauty sleep thing. Though, you're starting to get worry wrinkles.."_

-

_"A mind is a dangerous thing." Tsunade remarks to small group of ANBU. "And that's what makes Ino Yamanaka great for these missions."_

-

Note: Prologues are always short and uneventful huh? Chapter one will be posted up sooner or later. Please review with your thoughts!


	2. cross one's mind

- Thanks for all who reviewed and alerted! Next chapter, I'd love reviews on it since it's really transitioning the story. Enjoy!  
- Spoiler for 400+

* * *

Mind Gardens,  
fauxPROJECT

The mind grows sicker than the body in contemplation of it's suffering. - Ovid, Tristia, Bk. IV.

**Chapter One, cross one's mind.  
**

**-**

"We have to quickly make some decisions in favor of the Hyuuga household, _Hiashi."_ An elder scowls.

"Konohagakure has impending doom looming over it's head—why on earth would we do something drastic?"

Neji's brow crinkles slightly at the heated discussion as he's seated in one of the back tables for the Bunke House. They all remain silent as the Soke House elders, leaders, and heirs argue away. A headache's begin to throb behind his eyes as the chatter just continues. It pounds his head and makes his heart beat faster—but he doesn't move. He sits there occasionally casting Hinata Hyuuga a glance from the corner of his eyes.

"Grooming needs to start now, Hiashi-sama."

Suddenly Neji pauses his breathing and his ears captures their every last word.

"Which will it be?"

"Choose,"

The head of household stands up abruptly. He is as stern as ever. It's humorous, Neji finds, that his feathers may get a little riffled from this heated discussion from the entire clan.

Hinata tentatively begins to raise her hand to suggest—but she is denied her right to speak in front of the clan members.

"We will meet in seven days." The Soke House leaders announces, a hard look burning into Hinata's and Hanabi's very being.

Neji's chest feels like it will collapse as he privately grinds his teeth as everyone is being dismissed.

-

_"Just what were you planning on doing?"_

_"Oh, Neji-nii-san. She doesn't deserve it_—_I can handle it."_

_-_

"I have faith in you." Tsunade tries to carefully piece her words together as the white blonde chuunin stands about ten feet before her. Her blue eyes hold such dimension and hunger for more—determination and utter victory is all she craves. This is the spunk she likes to see in her shinobi, but Ino is far, far different. She releases the seal on the scroll and takes in the information that it holds and lets it sink in one more time.

"But you know the risks—" For once it's hard to assign Ino to these things.

"Tsunade-sama," Her voice is loud, and holds such substance and pride. "This is in time of need. Some are being bumped up to jounin early—some even ANBU! I may not be permanently ready to be moved up but I'm specifically trained for reconnaissance. If I'm better than most special jounin, ANBU, why _not_ send me?"

Tsunade holds her breath and they both fall quiet.

"Only your captain will know about this.." She breathes and as she's talking she realizes that she could never deny Ino Yamanaka her right to be a kunoichi no matter how much of a good medic her heart tells her to be.

Being a kunoichi is all she has.

-

"You either have flowers crammed to your asshole or you have a shot in your hand."

Ino raises her glass to her lips and hurriedly tilts her head so the alcohol ripples to the back of her throat. With a slam of the glass back on the counter, and a throaty cough she is already feeling tingly and a little too good.

"Kiba-teme," She growls, placing chin in hand and trying to block him out with just body language. But some dogs are just too dumb to teach and instead he throws an arm around her and jerks her around a little. "What the hell do you want?" She mutters before raising her hand for another drink.

"I can't go out for a drink?" He rolls his eyes as if she's the idiot.

"I thought alcohol was too rough on your canine senses," Ino notes, while pinching his nose hard.

"Ah! Hey!—" He swats her hand away, "I never said an alcoholic drink, broad."

She snorts with something that's supposed to resemble laughter before jerking her head back with another drink. Ino smacks her lips and they're feeling tingly and a little sluggish. Perhaps she's getting a little too inebriated.

"Mission?" Kiba asks simply, nothing heavy under toned.

"Yeah," She starts, drawing figure eights on the counter with her finger, "Eight day mission, they say."

They both hum under their breath, and the talking begins to fade. But suddenly Ino can feel her form being pierced by his eyes, something just isn't—

"Where were you during the funeral?" He asks finally, with a raise of an eyebrow.

"None of your business." Ino retorts, pulling her face from his view.

"Ah," He begins to say something but she goes to stand up and she wobbles a little bit before regaining her balance. Kiba stares long at her but nothing seems to be coming out of his mouth. People start disappearing, and you're suddenly becoming real shinobi—it changes people. Some are hit a little harder.

"—How's Sakura?" Instead flows from his lips. Ino merely shoves him away from her and takes her leave.

-

_"I didn't mean to, Shikamaru. It wasn't my fault_—Just believe me."

-

"So, Neji," Hiashi begins walking a few steps ahead of Neji. "You won't be there for the second caucus?" The words make Neji boil—with anger, anguish, betrayal, and helplessness. His uncle throws his head up in his aristocratic manner and pretends to be upset which in contrast he is indifferent. But Hiashi Hyuuga is head of household and he will manipulate his family and any Bunke member any way he wishes.

"I will be there."

"Ah, the Hokage said eight days." He comments, while running his fingers over the petals of the inpatients that are starting to wilt from the cool air. "And, I don't believe I mishear such important details."

"Yes, but shinobi can return early." Neji off-handedly states and the air becomes thick as Hiashi begins to walk through to the gates to the Soke house, a place where Neji is forbidden. He keeps walking before casually remarking a, "I'll see you once you've returned." Then disappears.

Neji fists his hands for a moment, trying to release the tension that has seeped through his muscles and into his nerves.

White blonde and blue catches his eyes. And it's _that_ kunoichi. She's too busied to notice him as she's carefully examining the bouquet of flowers stuffed into her lank arms.

Neji finds his feet moving and he can't stop. Her hair is tied up and she is in her regular purple clad kunoichi outfit instead of the hospital white-cotton kimono. She is smiling at her flowers—probably meant for Tenten, and Neji will not let them get to Tenten.

He is right behind her for a little while in the crowded streets and Ino is headed where he thought she was going. But she turns right—and Neji is simply bewildered and halts his following.

The memorial stone is left, not right. His white eyes trail her form a little more, and instead she disappears inside the hospital. And for once, Neji leaves it at that.

"Neji-nii-san?" A voice pipes up and Neji snaps from his trance and slacks his head slightly to look down at her peering face. "What are you doing out here?" Her voice is quiet, and if she could quell her stuttering it'd be a voice that could lull you to sleep. Neji glances up to see the blonde kunoich, flowers still in her arms, waving at Hinata—because shyly Hinata is waving back.

"A walk." Neji decides is a good enough reason. "What are you doing with _her_?" It came out more scornful than he wished. She winces at his tone before wetting her bottom lip.

"Well, I was here visiting and I heard Ino-san was going on a mission—s-so I gave her some ointment. Because y-you've heard of her condition.." Hinata mumbles and for once in a long while Neji is a tad annoyed by her small talk.

"Hinata-sama—I won't be there for the second meeting." He says with a hushed tone deciding that Yamanaka Ino was not at all important. Neji grasps her arm a little tightly and leans a bit closer. "Just what are you planning to do?" The question leaves his lips with a hint of deja vu. Her white lavender eyes begin to water and her form begins to shrink under his touch. "Don't do anything foolish on your own accord—Take—Your—Crown. At all costs." Neji watches as her form stops shrinking and finally Hinata looks up to him.

"Neji-nii-san," She begins, "Just believe in me." His eyes flash around him, making sure no one seemed too intrigued on their conversation before leaning back to her.

"Hinata-sama. But you have _the power_ to take the Hyuuga in your hands. You'll let that slip away?" His throat burns as these words leave his mouth. His heart is pounding as if it's ready to burst from his ribcage and he is confused on how the hell he's supposed to sit back and watch as Hinata will denounce her right as the first born child to take the throne to the Hyuuga clan. "You can change it, it's right there in your hands! Don't let it go—" Neji is completely frustrated and spent before jerking away from her and walking towards the Hokage Tower with a calm that only happens before a storm.

-

_"Ino Yamanaka?"_

_"Yes, problem?"  
_

_"_—_yes,"_

_"I've specifically assigned her. Departure is at oh four hundred."_

_-_

"Notify me as soon as you leave, or if anything else comes up Nara-san."

Shikamaru curtly nods to her and softly shuts the door. His footsteps echo in the painfully silent room, and the chair squeaks as he takes his place next to the bed. He slouches awkwardly against the metal back rest, the glass vase of flowers in his arms almost on the brink of tipping all the way over.

"Well, Ino, you know, told me to bring these to you." He comments, stretching forward to place the arranged flowers on the small nightstand. Scratching the back of his head he looks around for a moment—and Shikamaru is in awe that she hasn't suffocated from the scent of all the flowers and different arrangements that were littered against the stark white hospital bedroom. It'd scare him shitless if he'd awaken to all these plants in his room rather than comfort him. His luck is so great that these plants would morph into some kind of man-eating monster and eat him in one piece.

"Least Ino has a knack for something, right?" He mumbles, lighting up a cigar. "I don't know what I'd give you. Something lame, because you can't even see what I'm giving you." Shikamaru adds an inaudible _'troublesome'_ to his statement. Resting his forehead in the palm of his hands he stares hard at the girl and is speechless. And it's awkward and uncomfortable and Shikamaru _hates_ it. He runs his tongue over his teeth then stares up at the ceiling. And it feels as if the building could, actually would, collapse on him at any given moment. And sometimes he would catch himself praying that it would.

"She'll always know who you are." He whispers, a frown gracing his lips. "You'll never be _Yoru, Ritsuko, Mori, Kyo._" Shikamaru can feel the corners of his lips twitch just slightly. "Ino will always know."

"Nara-san, if you can excuse yourself. She needs to be tended to—smoking?! In here!" She grunts unhappily, and runs to his backside and nudges and shoves him out the door. Shaming him all the damn way. Shikamaru is indifferent because he was about to take his leave anyways.

He looks to his left shoulder and pinches the strand of pink off of it and flicks it behind him as he leaves.

-

"Just where in the fuck is Yamanaka?"

-

_And it conflicts her thoughts often, because perhaps she will never break free._


	3. keep in mind

Mind Gardens,

fauxPROJECT

"The torment of human frustration, whatever its immediate cause, is the knowledge that the self is in prison, its vital force and 'mangled mind' leaking away in lonely, wasteful self-conflict." - Elizabeth Drew

**Chapter Two, keep in mind.**

Neji is a troubled man—child. He is troubled with just about everything, but it's expertly hidden with a lock and key. He supposes that this fallacy is something everyone has gained over the years. It's a pretty plain concept, because shinobi are still human and humans are predictable. Others may just be a bit more lethal.

Like Neji is with fire lighting his feet to move a little quicker through the marble, white-bleach hospital halls. The black spandex-material of his ANBU uniform grips at his tense muscles, but it keeps him calm at the same time. But he fears that it only may be for a limited amount of time. Because it's like a time bomb and one day it'll bust.

For the stench of a hospital is one that peeves him to no end. The click of the heels of the nurses and the chatter between them—

"I can't see her like that Shikamaru,"

Neji halts for a moment, and eyes focus on the stacked shinobi. Time is slowing and spinning into horizontal directions instead of moving forward as he stares at the two.

Shikamaru bites his tongue for a moment; he waits to speak until his back is turned, "Visit. You haven't been here for about a month." Which is surprising to Neji that someone such as the Nara is bothered by this—he's insufferably lazy himself.

"I can't Shikamaru," His face becomes flushed with the weight of his body combined with true embarrassment, and Neji can even see sweat drip from his brow. With a growl comes, "—Chouji.." And Neji feels his legs become numb and he is almost floating as he finds himself inching closer to the duo as Shikamaru turns the knob as Chouji turns away slightly.

"Neji?" The door has stopped opening and Neji's jaw tightens but he relaxes it and says, "Hm." Chouji has lost his identity within reality as he stares off and Shikamaru just gazes unfavorably at him. "Well—open it." Neji merely suggests, reaching for the door and nudging it open.

Ivory white sheets are askew and with that quick glimpse the heavy stomps of Shikamaru's clothed sandals echo against wallpaper and his form disappears in a hurry. But Chouji remains and just peers into the lit room with a certain woman—child absent. Neji isn't taken off guard when he doesn't say a word. Chouji instead just waddles in the opposite direction and Neji realizes that the Akamichi probably won't ever step foot in that hospital again, no matter how Shikamaru pesters him.

Time becomes stable and Neji, oddly complacent for the moment—or his short term memory has finally failed, heads for the exit.

Because perhaps Chouji is troubled too.

Just perhaps, just perhaps.

-

_"You are being suspended from duty. No release date has been set. Failure to complete missions, medical input, and the most recent mission as well....."_

—_She balls her fist until her nails make her palms bleed. Because the color of red is more alive than the dim light of sky blue._

_But she is Ino Yamanaka, she will bleed rivers before she ever cries baby blue. But the back of her eyelids burn with Tenten's dead, decayed face staring back at her._

_Stubborn as ever, she will just continue to look away._

-

....CLOSING.

That word leaves such an odd ring in her ears that it's mind boggling.

It leaves a tart taste in her mouth but she is not sad. Neither is she angry or upset. It's a state of mind that floats between numb and the fall that her gut makes, and it's one that comes around often. Although never one she gets used to. Especially after she sets the last basket on the outside of the shop, and doesn't hesitant to indefinitely lock the doors to it (well at least according to her set agenda.) for eternity.

"—Oh my, how beautiful—Miss? Are these flowers for free?"

A flash of a smile and Ino replies easily, "Of coarse. The shop's closing, and—" She feels as if she's rambling, "Yes. Free." She sighs with a slight scratch to the top of her head before turning away.

"Free?" A small voice pipes up and it makes Ino grin.

"Hinata!" She says with a small laugh and smile, but she feels her lips quiver for a moment as she notices the bandages wrapped around her forehead. "Are you alright?" She questions moving forward slightly. Of coarse, Hinata shies back, hands on her head.

"Just a bump."

"Oh."

Hanabi is staring blankly at Ino while Hinata stares off-handedly at the flowers. The sound of other people chatting filling the space. Hinata suddenly crouches down to some yellow flowers, and Ino doesn't even bother noticing what kind of a flower before she places a hand on her shoulder and rubs it a bit.

"Naruto will be back sooner than you think." She begins, smiling to the sun, "We all miss him, Hinata." She just responds with a nod, before peering up at Ino then to Hanabi then back once more.

"I-Ino..what..what happened on your mission?" Ino sees her eyes teary, and feels a bit off for mentioning Naruto, but is taken back by her dodging the subject and turning the tables on her.

"Which one?" Ino starts, a bit defensive.

"Neji hasn't been back, and before he left he was urgent on returning before a c-certain family meeting." She starts to stumbling and stutter, "But he went right i-in and straight back out to find you."

"Have whatever flower basket you and Hanabi want." Ino comments before heading for the door to her house and slams it. Her blood is pumping hard and her brain feels like it's swelling against her cranium. She waits for the rush to pass before opening her eyes. Dark spots float in front of her eyes as she regains her balance. As if blinded, she reaches for the wall as if to sustain herself as she slinks her way through the hallway and towards the dining room.

Her heart rate is still accelerating—Ino just can't seem to pipe it down. Even as she stops at the door way, staring at her father.

He's staring up at the ceiling with a vacuous look swept across his eyes and face. His hands are folded almost too perfectly; they're pale and the veins can be easily seen through the clear sheen of his skin. He doesn't move.

Silence.....

"Otousan," She breathes.

It's all she can do before collapsing to her knees while grabbing her head; threading her fingers through her pale-blonde hair tightly.

"Come back," She shivers. She repeats this over and over, like a child weeping for mercy.

Yet, Otousan does not move.

-

_"We have to scout for her_—"

_"But we have to move forward, there's simply no option!"_

_Suddenly, Neji feels his chest tighten as he stares at the fire that's ignited the trees before him. For some reason, he feels as if Tenten did_—_like death hung on a left or right decision. He takes a gasp of air to get rid of the sickening feeling of drowning in his own thoughts. His eyes sting with a temptation to do what Tenten did wrong_—_to continue._

_The heat burns wildly against his powder-white cheeks and sends prickles and shivers through out his body._

_"We need to find Yamanaka."_

_Because Neji's team captain, and now a fool._

_Maybe forever a fool._

_-_

She's hunched against the wall, silently crying.

Neji lets out a mangled sigh, releasing the bandages he had snatched off of Hinata's forehead. He is trembling, he realizes. He actually has to drop the bandages before his fingers fall off. He resists the urge to place his hands over his face—because for once Neji is shameful.

"Hinata-sama—" He begins, an almost fearful step forward, "I—Forgi—" His lips feel heavy and swollen almost.

New blood trickles from the stale wound on her temple.

Something changes in her eyes as she speaks, "Neji-nii-san, I told you nothing would happen while you were gone."

But faintly in Neji's head all he can see is the hallucination of the branch family curse lingering on her forehead. Even when she has taken her silent leave, Neji just stands.

Swastikas are all he can see for now.

-

"Oh, Kakashi—" Ino's a bit startled, it's been awhile since he's been in Sakura's room.

Stiff and laden, he raises a hand for acknowledgement of her. His grey-silver hair is a little more flat than usual—his eye more heavy and dark.

"The nurses have said she's doing pretty well," Lies. "She's stable and all." Ino can't seem to fathom why she lies. "I'm positive." Rambling.

He just nods in politeness; Ino is sure of it. The atmosphere is not so much crucial as it is uncomfortable. The whirl of machines and the sound of Sakura's monitored breathing is all that is making Ino—maybe Kakashi—sane with each other just for the moment. The air is cold. So cold that it makes her own lungs hurt and tighten. Her mouth is dry and she is speechless.

"I've been doing my own research on her." She starts out, brighter than usual. "I've examined the chakra veins interconnecting within her brain." She's so pessimistically optimistic when Kakashi visits. "I think I can fix her if I can try."

"She doesn't need to be fixed." He snaps.

"Yes, she does."

"You're not a nurse, Ino. You flunked out of that area. Let the med-nins do their job." It's more of a sensei talking now, but with a bit of restraint. Suddenly, a chair is flung and flowers are thrown everywhere. She rips them apart; but she is not crying. She is just blinded as she curses and yells with a fury.

"She's broken—just like the rest of us. Just like you, just like Sasuke, Chouji." She spits, "Just like my father!"

Hinata is someone too shy to peer through the crack of the door of Sakura's room. The commotion is causing stares in the hallway—but Neji is not too polite not to stare through the crack of the door.

"Just like me." She seethes, white-blonde hair standing pointedly in all different directions. Suddenly, she's flushed and wants to escape. She tries to squeeze through the crack of the door, but Neji won't move. Her mind is even more jumbled and she's daunted by his very presence.

"Move!" She hollers in his face. Courage nor fear is present. She's an animal.

Neji's lavender stare just passes right through her and he refuses to move. She shoves him a bit as a warning.

"I said move, Neji."

"I won't." Neji doesn't really know just why he won't move. But he can't bear to take his eyes off of her. For someone just so wild a moment ago, she finds herself melting in front of him. Her blue eyes are watery and her lips quiver. She beats her feminine fists weakly against his chest as she sobs. For someone who takes pride in her exhibition, she sure doesn't cry pretty. But Neji has to give her credit—she's _so_ raw. He roughly grabs her tense shoulders and gruffly whispers, "Aren't you supposed to be in the hospital yourself?—since you're so broken." Hurting never felt so exhilarating.

She jabs him in a sweet spot in his chest that he has to step back for a moment. She finds herself a way out—uncharacteristically she flees.

Something akin to anger, redemption, and sweet, sweet victory rolls in his stomach and curls into a smile.

-

And Neji will never admit his flaws—he'll never be broken like he was long ago.

_Never, ever, again._

-

_"Neji, as you being team captain you are about to be subjected to confidential information. Your mission with Ino is something different," Tsunade begins. "Ino has a second objective.."_

_Suddenly Neji knows, but does not understand._

-

"Flowers for Tenten." Shikamaru frowns at Neji, who is grinning only slightly. Shikamaru shakes his head as he shuts the door close to Sakura's room, with Kakashi still inside. "You should drop some off some flowers for Tenten." He repeats, his own dark eyes spent. His tone is very condescending yet not scolding—they are not children correcting the other's behavior.

Suddenly Neji fails to grin; he has yet to drop some off.

Suddenly Neji realizes, but still does not fathom.


End file.
